Brickyl
by BustersJezebel
Summary: Brickyl. Three-way smut ensues amongst Daryl, Rick & Beth. Along with some emotional self-realization for Rick & Daryl. I have no ownership of TWD TV or comics, I just play with them in dirty, filthy, kinky ways. Don't like explicit smut, then go, go now.


_A/N – My own invention in the follow on from Playing In The Tombs (chapter of Walking Dead Hook-Ups), Suckering Short Round, Redneck's Roses and Detaining Daryl. All published in that order. Can be read alone. Explicit smut as always is a high factor. A little emotional angst as well. And thanks to __electrickpanda__ for giving me the title to this one-shot. I was unaware this threesome had a ship name until they told me. Hope you enjoy my version of Brickyl. And to whoever coined the ship name Brickyl - you have my sincere thanks._

* * *

Daryl takes the stairs up to the guard tower two at a time as always, his legs eating up the distance.

"Hey." He greets Rick with a jerk of his head.

"Hey, good huntin'?" Rick asked companionably.

"Yeah, real good, got Zach dressin' it." They watch silently for a time, comfortable in each other's company as always. Glancing out at the yard Daryl sees Beth laughing as she shows Michonne some yoga poses. He'd always enjoyed watching her put herself through the motions the few times a week she did it.

Fuck knows it kept her limber enough that he'd thought about asking her to teach him someplace private so he could do some stretching in his room where no one would see.

"What the hell?" Rick stands beside him now, shoulder to shoulder. He leans on Daryl slightly and Daryl finds himself leaning back to keep his balance.

"She's teachin' Michonne yoga for blade lessons." Daryl answers Rick's question.

"Hell of a sight." He murmurs in response, his voice absent. Daryl looks at him to see his gaze focused, narrowed down to a pinprick sized tunnel vision as he watched Beth like a fucking hawk eyeing its meal from the sky.

Raising an eyebrow Daryl looks down. Girl, well woman he supposed really. Whatever, she was gorgeous. Limber, loose limbed, light on her feet, graceful and with this milk pale skin that never tanned. Topped by her shaggy blonde hair that usually looked like some version of a rat's nest with a braid floating in it somewhere. And her stone grey eyes fringed by ridiculously long and dark lashes for a natural blonde.

"You could tap that." He says bluntly.

"Hmm," Rick is absent in his reply. "What, what? I could, what the fuck?" His voice rises slightly with each word, in nerves or shock. Daryl isn't sure which.

"She's got a crush on you, always had a crush on you, you could have her. If you want." He says quietly as he turns from the women and watches Rick, his eyes taking in everything as if he's tracking Rick through a silent forest.

Stepping back Rick turns away. "No." His tone of voice says his word is final, discussion over. He doesn't see the pursing of Daryl's lips or the quirking smile that crosses his face. His eyes crinkle at the corners as the smile blooms in full. When Rick turns around once he's back inside the tower he sees Daryl's full on smile. "I said no." His voice is a growl now.

Daryl raises his eyebrow again and shakes his head as he turns and looks at them back down in the yard. He thinks about what he'd seen. And he turns back. Looking at Rick through the door he laughs lightly. "Yeah, not only could you tap her, you want to tap her, you want to tap her bad. Got a hankerin' for blondes now do you?" He asked.

Lori had been a brunette, the fleeting looks Rick had given Andrea occasionally though, well they told him Rick was flexible when it came to a woman's looks. Like he was flexible when it came to gender. "Never had one before." Rick looked surprised that he'd answered Daryl. And then he looked chagrined that he had answered.

"Never had a blonde, not even in school?" Daryl believed him though.

"No, always wondered though you know." Rick said to him quietly. "If it's true." Daryl frowned. "That blondes are more fun." Realisation dawned in Daryl's eyes.

"That's not the saying, the saying is 'blondes have more fun' not that they are more fun." He says softly. Rick snorts as he finishes speaking.

"Fuckin' typical, I can't even get that right." He mutters before he scrubs a hand through his hair.

"Don't be fuckin' stupid, you want her you can have her, you can have both of 'em, they like to take a man now and then."

Rick freezes as he looks at Daryl. Daryl stares evenly back. "You know this because?" He asks in a low voice. Daryl looks at him and answers only with a shrug.

Nothing shows in his face but his eyes, his eyes have secrets. Shadows and pools of pain so deep one could get lost in them forever. Shaking his head Rick turned away. "Why the fuck would I want your leftovers?"

Stillness answers him. When he gathers his courage to turn around and apologise to the wrath he is sure is waiting for him, however there is no one there. Daryl had left without making a sound, even now with his ears straining Rick could hear no sound, not even his feet on the stairs.

He walks outside again and looks down into the yard instead of out at the land surrounding the prison. He watches Beth and Michonne together and then sees movement off to the south. Turning he watches Daryl walking to the gate, Maggie opens it and she brushes a hand down his arm as he stops and speaks a few words.

Then he is gone again. Fuck, he'd only just gotten back. Carl and Herschel were not going to be happy if they found out he was the reason Daryl had left again so quickly.

Dammit, he hated hurting people. And yet these days it felt like that was all he did.

##########

Weeks later, winter has set in and Rick still hasn't found a way to apologise to Daryl. He's been and gone several times and Rick has been gone a couple himself. Once with Daryl in a group and they still didn't manage to connect. He shakes his head as he watches Daryl speak to Beth and Michonne down in the yard.

There was familiarity between them, but nothing intimate. He rubs his chest as he watches some more and then turns to the tree line. A while later Michonne walks upstairs to replace him on watch.

"You're early." Rick say to her with a smile.

"I am, I have a favour to ask." She smiles at him and begins her watch, looking out over their home.

"And what can I do for the second most self-sufficient person I know?" He asks teasingly.

Another grin is bestowed upon him. "Oh check on my girl while I'm away is all." Rick nods. He'd have done it anyway. But Michonne has something else in mind. "Of an evening, she's liable to get lonely." She looks steadily at Rick and he frowns as he nods.

"Of course, you know she can move back to her cell room if she wants while you're gone."

Michonne shakes her head. "No, she likes where she is, but she's the first to admit she enjoys company of an evening is all." Rick nods again. He knows something is slipping past him but his mind can't quite grasp it.

"Sure thing, I can do that for you both, how are the two of you doing anyway? You look happy every time I see the two of you." He is wistful, wanting some of that bone-deep intimate happiness for himself. He'd had it once though he reminded himself. For a while he'd had his cake and eaten it too, he was being selfish wishing for it again.

But hell, seeing Michonne and Beth, Glenn and Maggie and Daryl made him want it himself. Shaking his head he turns and heads down the stairs. Spending the rest of the day cleaning weapons he ruminates on his life. It was as good as it could get these days he thought. No Lori, but he had Carl, Judith. Other family. Not blood, but family the same. It was enough.

The next night he visits briefly with Beth. They play a game of checkers and she trounces Rick soundly to his shock. He grins as he thinks on it the next day. He'll go visit with her again this evening as well.

##########

Rick winces later on as he checks the time on his alarm clock, it was an old-fashioned wind up one so it still worked. It was later than he'd planned to visit Beth. He'd been waylaid by some new arrivals and then had needed to shower off his day and then he'd been held up again by Herschel.

He looked at the time and thought about skipping his visit. She'd probably be in bed already. "Ah hell." He muttered. He had to go and check at least, if he woke her he woke her. He knew Maggie and Glenn weren't with her, he'd seen them heading to bed as he got back from his shower.

Checking Judith was settled and Carl with her he headed to the building Michonne and Beth lived in. Just as he was about to knock on her door he heard a moan. He nearly swallowed his tongue as he heard a giggle and Beth saying Daryl's name. Then another moan, a male one. Rick realised it had been a male moan he'd heard before as well.

He turns to walk away but looks back at the door. Then he hears words. "Jesus fucking Christ girl, how the fuck do you keep that position and why the fuck is it called the dog in the first place?" What the hell?

Without realising he has done it Rick raises his fist and knocks on the door interrupting Beth's laughing answer. A few seconds pass and then Rick hears the lock snick and the door opens. Beth is standing in front of him in her yoga outfit, sweat sheening her body and Daryl is now sitting on the sofa bed behind her. He's dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. His feet are bare.

Rick frowns. "Am I interrupting something?" He lies with a straight face knowing full well he is interrupting them. But not from sex.

"No, we were just finishing." Beth answers blithely. "You ready to have your ass whipped again Sheriff?" She flirts with him openly and Rick swallows as she winks at him. He looks over as Daryl snorts.

"Shark." He says to her smiling as she gives him a toothy grin. Rick finds himself smiling at their antics. Then Daryl stood up and stretched. "Thanks though, that feels great, a lot better." He obviously has no problem with Rick knowing he's taking yoga lessons with Beth though Rick bets he won't tell anyone else.

He realises suddenly it's the closest to alone he's been with Daryl since he'd said that Rick could fuck Beth. And that thought blasts through his cock like a freaking freight train. He shifted uncomfortably as his cock hardened. He needed to leave. "I'll uh, leave you guys to finish, I just wanted to check in Beth, sorry I was so late." He says this last bit looking at Daryl.

But Daryl wasn't looking at him. At least not at his eyes. He was looking at Rick's crotch. All of a sudden he grabs Beth and kisses her soundly. His hands pushing up into her messy hair and pulling her head back so her neck is arched and bared vulnerably.

Beth moaned for him and responded to his kiss without hesitation. Shit, Daryl had fucked her before. He knew it. Dropping his eyes Rick turned to leave when Daryl suddenly broke away and turned Beth, pushing her at Rick. "Kiss him." His words were low and guttural, harsh and controlling.

"What? I told you…" Rick finds his arms full of a small warm bundle of blonde. Beth's large grey eyes blink up at him as she smiles and then she winds her arms around his neck and leans up taking his mouth. She tastes like sin. Sin and Daryl, Rick realises. He finds himself responding before he knows it, his hands ghosting down over her back and waist to grip her backside and pull her hard against his cock as he grinds it into her belly.

Then he feels arms on his stomach. Daryl has stepped up behind Beth, holding her around the waist as he kisses the side of her neck, biting and sucking her. Rick feels Daryl's stomach against the back of his fingers as Daryl presses his own hard cock into Beth's backside.

He tries to pull away but Beth and Daryl move with him in concert as if they'd planned it. And maybe they had Rick thought hazily. Maybe they had. But feeling Daryl's cock brush against the back of his fingers was like cold water being thrown over him. He broke away from the hottest kiss of his life, moving his hands to Beth's shoulders he pushed her back.

"What the hell?" He questioned abruptly.

Beth looked confused but Daryl smirks at him from behind her back. He moves his hands up her body taking her t-shirt with him and pulls it over her head leaving her naked from the waist up. Beth goes to cover herself but Daryl speaks. "Don't, he wants to see, just won't admit it. Doesn't like that I've had you first." His words are sarcastic but Rick picks out the hurt in them too.

"I've tried…" He trails off as Daryl's hands now play with Beth's nipples, taking them in his fingers and pinching them lightly, fingering them, pulling on them, his callused thumbs just rubbing the tips lightly. Beth reached her arms up and back, putting them around Daryl's neck now. He leaned down and bit into her neck, sucking up a bruise while she moaned and writhed for him.

And him, Rick suddenly realised, she was performing for him too, they both were. For him.

And as that thought registers, his cock hardens in full and rears against the zipper of his jeans, pushing and crowding for release. He feels his balls filling with come and he can't help the moan that escapes him.

Daryl looks over at him, at his cock first and then up at his face. Rick's eyes catch his and Rick feels himself flushing in mortification but Daryl's smile while knowing, isn't superior. He pulls his mouth off Beth and tilting his head to the side he flicks a look up and down Rick's body again. Then he reaches for Beth's chin and pushes it down.

"Look what you've done to him, man's gotta' be in pain with that big of a hard on, I think you owe it to him to help him out with that." Beth moans now as she focuses on Rick's cock pushing earnestly under his jeans. Pushing forward she drops to her knees and without any prompting pops the button on his jeans and then pulls down the zipper.

Rick flushes again as he hears Daryl's throaty chuckle as Beth moans approvingly at the fact that he's not wearing any underwear. His own head falls back as Beth engulfs him in her wet mouth. Right away Rick can tell she is not expert, whatever she and Daryl have done or do, cock sucking either isn't one of those things or they're not getting it on regularly.

It doesn't matter though, it has been too long since Rick has felt his cock engulfed in the heat of a woman's mouth. And God he'd missed it. He finds his hands coming to fist Beth's rats nest hair and he guides her mouth so he is sucked how he likes. "That's it, get me nice and wet, suck me good and firm, don't use your teeth now Beth." He says without even realising he's instructing her out loud.

A warm, liquid soft laugh teases his senses and he opens his eyes to see Daryl looking at him. Rick watches as he reaches back over his head and pulls off his t-shirt. Then he bends down, still keeping eye contact and manages to get Beth's pants down as well, all the while keeping Beth's mouth on his cock.

He was using Beth to keep him prisoner Rick realised. If he wanted to leave he was going to have to tear himself away from Beth and the warm heat of her mouth on his cock. Rick narrowed his eyes at Daryl as he stood and without fanfare pushed his sweatpants down his legs and stepped out of them.

He wasn't hard Rick saw immediately. His eyes flashed up to Daryl who was still looking at him, his head cocked to the side as he considered Rick. Then still looking Rick saw him take his own cock in his hand and begin to stroke it. Rick swallowed even as he kept Beth working on his own cock. Daryl stroked himself off. Long, slow steady strokes that without even realising Rick guided Beth's mouth to mimic on his cock.

Jesus. Realising what he was doing Rick went to pull away but Daryl beat him to it. Quick as a striking snake he reached for Beth's hair and pulled her off Rick's cock, saliva spewing everywhere as she whined a no and tried to grab for Ricks thighs.

Laughing he pulled her up and turned her around, pushing her down to her knees to take his cock in. Rick's jaw dropped as she did so without complaint. "Who's in charge?" Daryl's gruff voice pierced the room as he continued to look at Rick.

But it was Beth who answered. Pulling off his cock she looked up, "You are Daryl, I remember." Rick frowned as Daryl nodded down at her briefly. Before she could go back to him he pulled her up again.

Turning her around to face Rick he slid his arms around her waist and they both looked over at Rick. He bizarrely thought they looked like twins with their mirroring looks of arousal on their faces. Flushed, wet swollen lips, dilated pupils, sweat glistening on them.

"You want him?" Daryl whispers in Beth's ear as he still looks at Rick.

"Uh huh, you know I do." Beth answers him as she looks at Rick too. She does, she's always had a crush on him, from the day he arrived at the farm. She feels Daryl give her a gentle push forward.

"Undress him, get him naked." Daryl looks at Rick and doesn't move until he's sure Rick isn't going to walk away. Then he moves to the sofa bed and puts it back together. When he turns around Rick is naked and they're both looking at him like he's crazy.

Grinning wolfishly he jerks his head. "Both of you, get the fuck over here." Beth skips forward with a grin and bounces up on her toes to smack a kiss on his lips. He can't stop himself from grinning at her.

Then he looks at Rick who hasn't moved. "You too, Sheriff." He orders Rick and waits for Rick to disagree. But Rick surprises the fuck out of him by moving forward. Daryl plants a quick kiss on Beth's forehead. "Get him settled on here, then ride him. I want your ass again."

Groaning, Beth tugged Rick and turned him, pushing him down she was gentle with him, as if sensing he was skittish. "Don't worry Rick, I do want you. Daryl's right." She says softly as she straddles Rick's naked body. He's pale but tough, his dark hair smattering his chest tickles her fingers as she cruises them over his chest and abdomen.

Fascinated by his pink nipples she flicks them, making him jump makes her grin. "Is that a good jump of a bad jump?" She asks with a smile. Rick shakes his head as he finally looks at her.

"It's a good jump. Beth are you sure?" He stills her hips before she can settle on him.

Beth nods. "Yes Rick, I'm sure. I want you. And I want Daryl. Together." She clarified and by Rick's suddenly widening eyes she realised he hadn't figured that bit yet. So she leans down and kisses him as she raises herself up and sinks down on him.

He was like Daryl, freaking thick. She moaned as she pushed down quickly, trying to make sure he didn't leave her. But as aroused as she was, she wasn't used to taking a cock. Pulling away from Rick's lips she rested her head on his shoulder winding her arms around his neck.

Then she felt soothing strokes down her spine. Daryl's rough fingers soothing her. She felt his heat at her back and then his hands moved around to her stomach, massaging her pelvis, letting her relax and get used to Rick. "God Daryl." She breathed as she turned her head into Rick's neck and kissed his salty skin.

"Feel okay now?" He asked her quietly.

"Yes, when are you coming in?" Beth questioned him quietly as she began to rotate her hips in circles on Rick's cock. Not thrusting, just moving. Rick flexed inside her and Beth shuddered. "God Rick." She said. "You feel so good inside me."

Rick turned his head to the kittenish female breathing on his neck. "Beth," He said, using her name deliberately to centre himself. He was fucking Beth. "You feel good too, warm and wet and female, you feel amazing, you gonna' come for us girl?" He asked her, unaware he'd used Daryl's nickname for her.

"God, I hope so." Beth answered beginning to get breathless. "Daryl, there's…"

"It's okay girl, I found it." Daryl interrupted her. Beth nodded and settled back into Rick, relaxing against him again and continuing to rotate her hips. Rick flexes his hips under her a few times, getting a feel for being inside her.

"You're so tight, it's been so long." He mutters as he grabs her hair and pulls her head back to take her mouth, his beard scratches her face and she pulls away before moving back in and controlling the kiss a little more so she isn't scratched.

Rick shoots a glare at Daryl as he laughs at Beth not liking his beard. "Fuck you." He says before Beth pulls him back in.

"You will be soon enough." Daryl answers him.

Rick feels Beth jolt and pulls back again. She has her eyes closes and has clenched down on him a little. He realises Daryl has knelt behind her and when he sees the tube in Daryl's hand he understands.

He won't ask if Beth is sure again but he will assure her. "Anytime you don't want either of us, you just say so, you hear?" Beth nods mutely at him. She's so fucking young is all Rick can think. He knows she's technically an adult, he knows she's sexually experienced, more than probably. But compared to he and Daryl, she is young.

Still, when she clenches down on him again Rick finds himself pushing up a little and moaning with the tightness. And then Rick jolts like he'd been stuck with an electric prod.

"Fuck!" He exclaimed. A moan from Beth and a filthy chuckle from Daryl are his only responses. Daryl had inserted a finger inside Beth and Rick could feel it. He could feel it. Letting his head fall back onto the sofa he rested with his eyes closed. Fuck, he thought this time. Fuck. He had not been expecting that.

And this was just Daryl's finger. What about when his cock was in there, sliding alongside Rick's? Fuck. His head shot up suddenly as he registered Daryl was deliberately stroking his cock while he was inside Beth. Using Beth to touch him. "You fucker." He says quietly, venom dripping from his words.

If he thought he'd get Daryl to stop he was grossly mistaken. Daryl just grinned at him though Rick could tell the grin didn't reach his eyes. They had gone from glowing laser blue to black obsidian sometime since he'd sat down and Beth had taken him inside her. There was a reason he was sure but just as his mind reached for the realisation Beth clenched on him tightly with a moan as Daryl pushed another finger inside her.

Rick closes his eyes to Daryl's black ones and tries to focus only on the fact that he's inside a woman again, for the first time since he and Lori had last been together, that one desperately quick fuck when they'd been on the road and she'd been around seven months gone. He remembers their grunts and moans and the sheer emotional wreck he'd been as he'd thrust in and out of her quick and hard.

He'd come and pulled out before he'd even finished ejaculating. Then knowing she hadn't come he'd still walked away too disgusted with himself for not being able to resist her. He'd gone a dozen steps when he'd turned back and moved down, kneeling in front of her, he'd used his mouth on her, or tried to. His beard was rough and she'd flinched away from him so he'd stopped and looked up at her.

Then closing his eyes he'd simply stood and walked away. He hadn't looked back. He'd still loved her though. That was the stupid fucking thing, he'd still loved her. Didn't like her, but he'd loved her. Would have never gotten back with her, but he'd still loved her.

Brought back to the here and now Rick feels he's gone soft inside Beth and she's looking at him, but then he feels pressure on the underside of his cock. Daryl is looking at him over Beth's shoulder as he pushes inside her. And as Rick feels his cock slide into Beth and brush alongside his own he cannot help the moan that slips from his mouth as his own cock goes hard again in an instant.

"Jesus Fucking Christ." He gasps as he feels his cock squeezed in place by Daryl's own cock. "Fuck." He says again. Beth shudders and Rick shudders with her. Daryl does not he sees immediately. Narrowing his eyes Rick watches him.

Daryl is watching him, Rick realises. He swallows and turns his head to Beth, taking her mouth in a kiss again. But Daryl continues watching him. Rick's hands move to Beth's breasts, teasing her nipples, pinching and pulling them lightly. Continuing to keep eye contact with Daryl Rick feels him pushing in and out of Beth.

Every sliding stroke of Daryl's cock against his own pushes Rick without any movement himself toward the mother of all orgasms. He teases Beth's nipples and then jerks when he feels fingers on his groin. He looks down to see Daryl's hand brushing through his messy curly pubic hair as he slowly moves his fingers from Rick's pubic hair to Beth's sparser and softer platinum blonde thatch.

Another moan is ripped from his throat. Shivering Rick pulls back and focuses on his cock, surrounded by hot wet aroused woman, pushed against by another cock. He jolts at the realisation. His eyes lock with Daryl's again.

Daryl might be having sex with Beth. But he was fucking Rick.

Rick stared at Daryl and Daryl kept looking back at him. Steadily as he moved Rick felt his cock flex and slide and shift inside Beth, Daryl was reaching for him he knew. In more ways than one.

Reaching out suddenly, Rick reaches over Beth's shoulder and grabs Daryl's hair at the back of his neck. He pulls back harshly, yanking Daryl back like he'd yank on a Walker before he shoved a shiv up into its brainstem from behind.

Daryl's eyes fluttered closed and Rick cursed. "You fucker." Letting Rick manhandle him Daryl just smiled, his eyes still closed, Rick felt him push into his hand and so he pulls instead of pushing. Daryl's head thumps forward, his forehead hitting the back of Beth's neck and they both make an oof sound.

Past caring Rick continues to grip Daryl's hair, tilting his head to the side and pulling he makes Daryl's face rest on Beth's shoulder and he leans forward. "You fuck her." He says quietly knowing Beth will hear but not understand.

"I am." Daryl answered him just as quiet. But Rick shook his head.

Opening his mouth to order Daryl again he his shocked as Daryl pushes forward further and kisses him. Jerking back Rick stares him down. Unsuccessfully. Daryl is unrepentant.

Narrowing his eyes Rick yanks on Daryl's hair again but gets only an aroused groan in response. Beth moans too.

"Sexy." She says breathlessly. Letting her head falls back on the other side of Daryl's chest she closes her eyes and allows her body to be used. Rick looks down when he feels fingers in his hair again. Daryl's other hand is there, his right hand continues to stroke Beth's clit, making her moan and thrash.

Settling an arm around her waist, Rick holds her steady, ignoring his hand brushing Daryl's body. Despite his shiver as he brushed against Daryl he kept holding his hair, anchoring himself. Keeping himself in the moment. But Daryl's jolts him again with a chuckle as his left hand that Rick had tried to ignore moves down to where he is joined to Beth and strokes what little of him he can reach.

Daryl is surrounding him Rick realises, fucking him in every way possible. And how long has he wanted this Rick wonders as he feels his balls draw up. Knowing he's close he once again looks into Daryl's opaque gaze.

It was like he was with them but not present Rick thought uneasily. "Make her come, I'm close." And having said that Rick closes his eyes to everything but sensation and feeling. The sensation of his impending orgasm, the feeling of being surrounded and fucked by someone who was not actually inside his own body.

The sensation of being in a cocoon, the feeling of…desire.

Rick feels Beth begin to orgasm as she clenches down on his cock, hard and fast he jerks his hips suddenly, making her moans break off sharply even as her orgasm continues as a result.

Keeping his eyes closed he nevertheless grins darkly as he feels Daryl's jolt inside her at his sudden movement as well. He deserved it Rick thought. Trying to fuck him though someone else.

And at that thought he found himself boiling over and releasing inside Beth. God, the warmth of doing that. It felt like nothing else he'd ever experienced. Continuing to hold Beth by her waist and Daryl by the back of his neck he comes down slowly to the realisation Daryl hasn't come.

Before he can say anything Daryl releases him from where he'd touched the base of Rick's cock as he'd orgasmed and removed his fingers from Beth, then he pulled his cock slowly and steadily out of Beth's backside.

Rick watched him, expecting him to jerk off but he didn't. He stood up and hooked a hand around Beth's neck, drew her up for a kiss. "Thank you girl." He said softly. Then he looked at Rick. His cock was still hard, thick with pre-come dripping from it. Rick felt himself jerk inside Beth as he looked at it and his eyes flew up to Daryl's.

Daryl nodded at Rick as he bent and drew his sweatpants up his legs, taking up his t-shirt he turned and left them alone together.

Rick frowned after him. Before he could say anything however Beth undulated on him, clenching and flexing and Rick found his mouth claimed in a hungry, possessive kiss.

##########

Daryl headed to the showers where he'd left his toiletries before he'd gone to Beth. He'd known he'd need a shower after the yoga, fuck knows it looked easy but it wasn't easy in any way. Stripping down he switched the shower on and shivered through a cold one as he scrubbed himself down.

He'd given up questioning himself these last weeks. He hadn't come inside Beth tonight. He hadn't come inside anyone since Rick had said he didn't want his leavings. It was like he'd flipped a switch in Daryl's brain or something. Whatever.

He was nothing but fucked in the head anyway. It was just one more thing that he couldn't get off in anyone anymore, just with his own hand. Fuck it all to hell.

Grasping his cock he stroked himself off, thinking about what he'd just done, who he'd just done. He'd known immediately what he was going to do when he'd seen Rick on the other side of the door. And he'd already known Beth would be on board. But…he choked the thought off as he continued to stroke his cock.

Resting his other palm on the shower wall Daryl spread his legs and let himself just feel for once. He didn't feel the freezing water landing on his skin like tiny knife blades, he didn't feel his goose bumps, nor his body beginning to shiver. He felt Rick's cock sliding against his own. And fuck it felt good.

Letting himself go, Daryl felt his balls draw up and everything, every muscle, sinew, ligament in his body tighten and release as his semen spurted from his body and down the drain of the shower, like his feelings.

Shuddering with cold now he switched off the water and dried himself off, hard and fast he rubbed circulation back into his skin. Then he dressed in his only other pair of sweatpants, and a baggy sweater he used for sleeping in winter, shoving his feet into his boots that he'd left here before going to Beth he strode back to his room.

Checking on Ass-Kicker he saw she was still asleep with Carl by her side. Smiling Daryl glanced into Rick's room as he passed back by. Empty. Snorting Daryl wondered if Beth would be able to walk tomorrow.

Settling in his own room he took off his boots and threw on a pair of socks and then his other sweatpants and tank went into the washing pile that would be picked up in the morning. They had a good system worked out here now. And he couldn't say he minded not having to do his own washing.

Settling down, Daryl burrows into his blankets curling on his side. He drifts to sleep wondering if he and Rick were okay now. Rick had apologised tonight he knew. Right there at the beginning. And he'd helped Rick get Beth which he'd never have the balls to do on his own.

He figured they were even now. Though no doubt Rick was now pissed at him for fucking him through Beth.

The next morning Daryl is drifting in that haze of comfort, not quite asleep, not quite awake when he feels cold on his back. He'd rolled in the middle of the night so he was facing the wall. Cold little fingers slide up under his sweater and then another set join them.

Pursing his lips he wonders whether he should pretend to be scared. Before he can decide however, the larger fingers make his decision for him. They dig mercilessly into his ribs. With an uncontrived yelp Daryl flips himself around and pounces on Judith and Carl, wrestling them under the covers he rubs his bearded chin over them both making Judith squeal and Carl laugh.

Carl's voice hadn't quite broken and when he laughed he alternated between his boy voice and his man voice. When he'd worked them into a giggling, protesting frenzy of cries of 'uncle' he stopped and flopped on his back. All three of them jerk when the covers were ripped off. Rick stands there freshly showered and dressed shaking his head at them.

"Daddy ihhh!" Judith yelled delightedly. One of half a dozen words she knows. Rick shook his head and reached for her but Daryl and Carl looked at each other and moving in concert they grabbed Rick and tumbled him into the bed. Daryl twisting him so he didn't land on Judith.

"Jesus." Rick's voice is muffled as he spits out a wad of blanket. He hears laughter and realises they're all laughing at catching him off guard. Pushing himself up on his elbows he finds himself lying over Daryl's stomach and facing his knees, his groin under his neck and shoulder.

Pushing up he manages to maneuver himself so he's reclined on the bed on an elbow, his back to Daryl who pushes himself back giving him room. Daryl's elbow digs into his thigh as he leans over Rick to tickle Judith again.

Within minutes more cries of 'uncle' are in the air and Daryl and Rick have Carl and Judith well and truly cowed. "Jesus, you two. Out of here, go get breakfast." Rick orders. As they untangle themselves from the twisted up bedclothes Rick sits up and runs his fingers through his hair. He rolls and lands on his knees beside the bed and then stands up.

Looking down he sees Daryl stretching with his eyes closed, his sweater rode up, exposing his flat stomach and a scar along his flank. Rick looked away and making a cursory attempt at straightening the bedclothes his children had mussed he finally spoke directly to Daryl, "See you outside." Daryl didn't answer him as he left.

##########

Daryl stretched some more before he got up. Being woken up by Carl and Judith always put him in a good mood for the day. He grinned over them suckering Rick in for a few minutes as well. Finishing his stretching he dressed for the cold day he could tell was in the air from his bones.

He ate breakfast and then went outside for his customary morning sit to watch the fields and think on his day. Herschel had scrounged to chairs for them to sit on when the weather had turned too cold to sit on the ground. Daryl didn't think he'd ever stop being surprised by his resourcefulness.

He groaned as he sat down and Herschel twinkled up at him. Daryl handed him the raspberry tea he'd brought along in two mugs. They wrapped their hands around the mugs and sipped contentedly. Talking about their days and jobs and having a mini meeting of the council they caught each other up. Herschel always kept Daryl up to date as he wasn't always there for meetings.

Daryl found himself drifting today though. And of course Herschel noticed. "How are you doing Daryl? You seem pensive." Herschel noted.

"I'm okay actually, realised something a while back, wasn't easy. Isn't easy." He amended. "But I feel better 'bout myself for it." He saw Herschel nodding out of the corner of his eyes.

"Feeling good inside, deep inside yourself is never a bad thing, even if other's don't feel good with you. And you Daryl have as much right to feel good inside as anyone else." Herschel observed astutely.

Grimacing, Daryl wondered how Herschel knew Glenn was giving him a hard time for withdrawing from he and Maggie sexually. "I know, thanks Herschel." Daryl says simply. He didn't think he'd be changing, or even realising he could change if it weren't for Herschel. "You're a good man you know, I know you think you aren't because of what you were like when you were younger, or even when we first met, all closed off and shit about the world and the way it changed. But you manned up. You realised it and you changed, became better. You should know that too."

Herschel stared at Daryl. He blinked rapidly pulling the sudden tears back inside. He knew Daryl would think he'd said something wrong if he cried. Clearing his throat a couple of times Herschel finished off his tea before he found his voice. "Daryl," He broke off to clear his throat again. He didn't have a speech in him he thought. So he said what was in his heart. "Daryl," He began again. "You humble me." He says no more, he is too overwhelmed.

"How do you like me Herschel? Knowing what I do with your girls and other people? How do you like me?" Daryl says suddenly. He inhales sharply wishing he could pull the words back but they're there, resting almost visibly in the cold morning air. He fancies he can see them laughing sarcastically at him.

"Because you're more than your sex life Daryl. And my girls? Well, to be blunt they have my blood and I may not be that way anymore but I was once and then some." Herschel shrugged. "As much as I'd like to, it would be me calling the kettle black. And since the farm, the one thing I try not to be is a hypocrite. It's a small thing, but in the grand scheme of things it's made me a better person."

Daryl nodded. And he grinned. "I remember how fuckin' uptight you were when we met, walked like you had a fuckin' stick up your ass and then some." He said with what could only be described as an impish glance at Herschel.

Looking over, Herschel narrowed his eyes at Daryl. And then quick as a snake he reached over and cuffed Daryl lightly on the back of the head. From anyone else Daryl would be on them so fast with a knife to their throats. From Herschel however he just laughed again and ducked so Herschel's hand skated across the top of his head softly.

"Too slow old man." Now Herschel laughed, long and loud.

"Damn straight Daryl, damn straight, but you're not far behind me you know." Winking Herschel got to his feet and took their mugs. He left Daryl sitting there in the sunlight ruminating.

Tilting his head back to catch the sun Daryl dozed as the day warmed slowly.

When he wakes sometime later Rick is sitting beside him silently.


End file.
